The Lower House. 63

reason to believe, he intended nothing more than our and your
Service, thereby, and very much Condemn the Malicious re-
ports and Insinuations of those who have Endeavoured to
Disturb the minds of the good people of Maryland by Sug-
gesting that we had sent a Private Commission to the said
Thomas Brooke to take upon him the Government During the
residence of our Late Lieutenant J^no Hart Esq^r a Method wee
scorne to rule by and which has Induced us to Change our
Designe of Administring the Government by the person first
named in our Councill and place it as we have Done till such
Time as the Affairs of Your Lord and Proprietary will allow
him to reside among you himselfe, or he shall otherwise dis-
pose thereof. When he hopes to bury those seeds of Rancour
& Jealousie which have too long prevail'd among the People
and so to unite their hearts and Minds, that the Misguided
part of the Provinces Desenting from our blessed Establishm^t
both in Church and State will Peaceably & quietly Submitt to
the known Laws by his mild yet due Execution of them.
In the Mean Time tis our Peculiar good Fortune that his
Majesties faithfull Subjects of the Province have Intrusted
the Direction of their Application to the Care of Coll^o Nath^l
Blackistone a Person so Constantly Attached to the protestant
Interest and of such known and approved Loyalty to the King
and Esteem with his Ministers that Wee take pleasure at his
Instances to make our Power Conducive to your happyness.

Gentl of the Upper and Lower houses of Assembly.

I shall not trouble you my Self with Long Harangues but
rather Chuse to let Time & my future actions demonstrate
how much I desire the Peace and Prosperity of this Province
and that I may demean myself so (if possible) to Answer his
Majesties great Goodness in Approveing and my Lord Pro-
prietaries bounty in Placeing of me in this Station.

L. H. J.

And as I cannot more Effectually shew my Loyalty, to our
Sovereigne Lord King George Than in a Steady Adherence
to our happy Establishment in his Illustrious Line by En-
courageing and trusting in the several Offices of Government
his Majesties Approved & Tryed Subjects and keeping within
due bounds our unhappy Dissenters from it (which I am
Determined to do) so I cannot more Sincerely shew my Duty
to our Lord and Proprietary than by Zealously Recommend-
ing to your Deliberate and peacefull Consideracons the Sev-
eral matters and things with w^ch I am Instructed, Copys
whereof I shall Order forthwith to be laid before you, w^ch
when by yo^r wise Counsills happily Accomplished must neces-
sarily Tend to a Real Benefit and Lasting good understanding

p. 4